Plain English Meaning

The engines are bolted to the back of the fuselage, near the tail, instead of hanging under the wings.

Full Definition

Engines attached to the rear sides of the aircraft fuselage, rather than to the wings. This configuration is commonly paired with a T-tail, where the horizontal stabilizer is placed high on the vertical stabilizer to keep it clear of the engine exhaust and wing wake.

Context Anchor

Seen in discussions of T-tail aircraft and how engine location affects tail design and airflow around the tail.

Derivation

‘Aft’ is a nautical term meaning ‘toward the rear of a vessel,’ carried over into aviation. ‘Fuselage’ comes from the French fuselé, meaning ‘spindle-shaped,’ describing the long, tapered of the aircraft. So the phrase literally means ‘engines mounted on the spindle-shaped body, toward the rear.’